"A full security study was commissioned
more than three months ago by pride organizers and executed by the
university defense department constructing a detailed strategy for all
logistical possibilities to carry out pride safely with full
instructions for how police would secure pride participants entrance to
the parade, their safety during the event and their ability to leave
the event unmolested.
This security study also made detailed
recommendations for preventative measures that could be taken by police
in the months leading up to pride to minimize the risk of violence.
Police did not undertake these measures and despite months of meetings
with pride organizers and daily meetings in the past two weeks have
failed to act on security measures, instead choosing the tactic of
pressurizing organizers to cancel the event. In the last 48 hours
the police in meetings with pride organizers refused all cooperation
for the securing of the pride, applying further pressure to organizers
to cancel. Police refused to take responsibility for maintaining public
order during the event. Instead telling the Pride organizers that they
would be held responsible for any public damage caused by the hooligans
and fascist groups who have been organizing a violent response to Pride."

"The ultra-nationalist Serb Popular Movement 1389 hailed the cancellation of the march as 'a great victory for normal Serbia.' The
group said it would be going ahead with its own demonstration planned
at the philosophy faculty at 8:00 am (0600 GMT), three hours before the
Gay Pride would have begun, for a 'non-violent and non-deviant popular
Serb rally.' ... 'In our city, infidels and Satanists will not pass,' it added...Belgrade Pride organisers had also called on the Serbian Orthodox
Church to make an appeal for calm. But the Church said it could not
accept the event, calling it a 'Shame Parade, Parade of Sodom and
Gomorrah'. Ultra-nationalist group, Nasi (Ours), warned that 'European Union and American leaders who support (homosexuals) should
know that as long as there are Orthodox Serbs there will be no
homosexual parade in Serbia.'"

Comments

What's happening in Serbia is somewhat similar to what's happening in the USA - a partisan split between opposition right-wingers and the more moderate centrists holding power - only because of Serbia's greater economic and diplomatic problems, the rhetoric is truly threatening and the tensions often become physically violent. The clash over this event is only a manifestation of that greater struggle. As with the USA, it's unfortunate that a minority of bigots are hindering national progress, although unlike in the States, the majority of Serbia's population is much less progressive than the government.

Posted by: Milan | Sep 19, 2009 7:01:58 PM

Now I've heard that they're banning ALL gatherings tomorrow. Wonder if the nationalist anti-gay 1389 people will still try to gather?

The bigots in Serbia make the ones in the US seem like Rhodes Scholars. Dayum!

Posted by: bunker | Sep 19, 2009 9:35:53 PM

The Orthodox Church in its various national churches is trying to ruin everyone's life who is the least bit different than they are: homosexuals, minorities, revivalist pagan religionists esp. in Greece, and religious minorities. They are like gold-leafed shit, they start stinking if you dare to step on them at all.

Posted by: clint | Sep 20, 2009 12:58:44 AM

Wow, no racist rants?! Strange, I wonder what's different about Serbia?